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Assessment of the bioavailability of cadmium in Jamaican soils

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment volume 186, pages 4591–4603 (2014)Cite this article

Abstract

Extraordinary geogenic concentrations of cadmium (Cd) have been reported for some Jamaican soils. However, the bioavailability of the metal in these soils remains unknown. Here, the bioavailability of Cd in selected Jamaican soils was investigated through the determination of total and sequentially extractable concentrations in paired soil–plant (yam; Dioscorea sp.) samples (n = 24), using neutron activation analysis and atomic absorption spectroscopy as primary analytical techniques. Our results indicate that total soil Cd varied widely (2.2–148.7 mg kg−1), and on average, total extractable Cd accounted for ~55 % of the total soil Cd. The exchangeable and oxidizable species averaged 1.5 and 6.4 % of the total Cd, respectively, and, based on Spearman analysis, are the best predictors of yam Cd. There is also good evidence to suggest that variation in the bioavailability of the metal is in part controlled by the geochemical characteristics of the soils analyzed and is best explained by pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and organic matter content (% LOI).

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the University of the West Indies, Mona, and the Government of Jamaica through the Ministry of Science Technology Energy and Mining for vital financial support. We are indebted to Taniesha Edwards (Department of Geography and Geology), John Preston and McKeane Thomas (ICENS) for spatial data manipulation of Fig. 1. The anonymous reviewers are acknowledged for their constructive suggestions to improve the manuscript.

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Affiliations

  1. International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Sciences, University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica

    Adrian Spence, Richard E. Hanson, Charles N. Grant & Leslie Hoo Fung

  2. Department of Chemistry, University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica

    Robin Rattray

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  1. Adrian Spence
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  2. Richard E. Hanson
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  3. Charles N. Grant
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  4. Leslie Hoo Fung
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Correspondence to Adrian Spence.

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Spence, A., Hanson, R.E., Grant, C.N. et al. Assessment of the bioavailability of cadmium in Jamaican soils. Environ Monit Assess 186, 4591–4603 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-3722-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-3722-9

Keywords

  • Bioavailability
  • Cadmium
  • Correlation
  • Geochemical characteristics
  • Jamaican soils
  • Yam